Evans Takes Medical Leave from Lockheed Aeronautics

Nov. 17, 2020 | By John A. Tirpak

Michele A. Evans, Lockheed Martin’s executive vice president for aeronautics, is taking an extended medical leave, a company spokesman reported Nov. 17. Greg Ulmer, Lockheed’s F-35 vice president and program manager, will serve in her place starting Dec. 1 for the duration of her absence, the spokesman said.

Evans was “diagnosed last year with a non-COVID related medical issue and continues to undergo treatment. Her condition is treatable, and a full recovery is expected,” the spokesman said.

Ulmer will “serve as her delegate and acting aeronautics executive vice president, working in partnership with the entire aeronautics executive leadership team.” He will continue to also serve as the F-35 program manager.

In addition to the F-35, Evans oversees the C-5, C-130, F-16, F-22, U-2, and Sikorsky helicopter products, among others, as well as the Next-Generation Air Dominance effort, a partnership with Airbus on future refueling aircraft competitions, the “Skunk Works” advanced products division, and some of Lockheed’s hypersonic air vehicle projects.

It’s Official: Thousands of Troops Returning from Afghanistan, Iraq

Nov. 17, 2020 | By Brian W. Everstine

The Pentagon on Nov. 17 formally announced the plan to withdraw thousands of forces from Afghanistan and Iraq, just two months before President Donald J. Trump is expected to leave office.

Acting Defense Secretary Christopher C. Miller, who has been in the role for eight days, announced the plan in brief remarks at the Pentagon, saying withdrawing about half of the forces from Afghanistan and removing 500 troops from Iraq is the “next phase of the campaign to defeat terrorists,” which has lasted almost 20 years.

“This is consistent with our established plans and strategic objectives supported by the American people, and does not equate to a change in U.S. policy or objectives,” Miller said. “Moreover, this decision by the President is based on continuous engagement with his national security cabinet over the past several months, including ongoing discussions with me and my colleagues across the United States government. I have also spoken with our military commanders, and we all will execute this repositioning in a way that protects our fighting men and women, our partners in the intelligence community and diplomatic corps, and our superb allies that are critical to rebuilding Afghan and Iraqi security capabilities and civil society for lasting peace and troubled lands.”

The forces are expected to leave by Jan. 15, 2021, though defense officials would not provide details on the specific timeline or which forces would leave. A senior defense official, speaking to reporters on background shortly before the plan was announced, said the Pentagon believes the remaining number of troops would be enough to “accomplish everything we have been doing. There’s no need to keep a force posture of over 4,000.” The reduction will not completely eliminate U.S. capabilities in the country, though the official would not say whether the plan will impact the U.S. military’s ability to conduct airstrikes in support of Afghan forces.

The official also would not speculate on a timeline for withdrawing the rest of the forces. National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien, speaking at the White House shortly after Miller’s speech, said it is Trump’s goal that all troops will return by May, but “right now that policy is not known.” The troops that will remain after January will defend embassies, protect diplomats, and “deter our foes.”

Despite warnings from previous Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper and an independent watchdog assessment that said Taliban violence has risen and that the group has not broken from al-Qaida, defense officials said conditions for withdrawal have been met. The official noted these metrics of violence are just one part of the assessment. In discussions with senior military officials and other advisers, Trump decided that “first and foremost” the U.S. national security would not be threatened by withdrawing troops, and the remaining force posture is enough to carry out the mission with allies.

Miller said he spent the morning reaching out to allies, including NATO, along with Afghan and Iraqi leaders to update them on the plan. He also visited with several Congressional leaders to let them know of the withdrawal.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, in a Nov. 17 statement released before the plan was announced, warned of the implications of a premature withdrawal, saying Afghanistan could once again become a platform for terrorists to organize attacks. Stoltenberg also noted that the Islamic State group still has the potential to remake its so-called caliphate in Iraq and Syria.

“The price for leaving too soon or in an uncoordinated way could be very high. … When the time is right, we should leave together,” said Stoltenberg, according to CNN.

The news received mixed reactions on Capitol Hill from both sides of the aisle. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said Nov. 16 that a “rapid withdrawal from Afghanistan now would hurt our allies and delight the people who wish us harm,” according to Politico.

HASC Ranking Member Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Texas) said he does “not know of any condition that justifies reducing further the troops that we have in Afghanistan. As a matter of fact, I think it undercuts the negotiations to say whatever you do or don’t do, we’re going to reduce our troops even further.”

Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) said, “we must ensure that our strategy and posture reflect the conditions on the ground,” adding that he looks forward to detailed briefings on the move. House Armed Services Committee Chairman Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.) said it is the “right policy decision” as long as it is done “responsibly and carefully executed to ensure stability in the region.”

Acting SECDEF Issues Vision for the Pentagon

Nov. 17, 2020 | By Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory

Acting Defense Secretary Christopher C. Miller on Nov. 16 issued a three-pronged set of priorities for his time leading the Pentagon, intended as an annex to his Nov. 13 message to U.S. troops that called for a U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.

“Building on the message and vision I set forth on Friday, I am now providing a more finite and precise statement of my goals while leading this organization,” Miller wrote.

First, he said, he aims to end the United States’ Global War on Terror “in a responsible manner” that ensures U.S. citizens’ security.

Secondly, he pledged to keep executing the 2018 National Defense Strategy, with a special focus on prepping the Pentagon for great power competition and what it anticipates the strategic environment of tomorrow will look like.

Finally, Miller wants to speed up Defense Department “activities to contribute to our whole-of-government efforts to combat transnational threats.”

As the military moves forward under his nascent leadership, he also advised it to take a cue from the New England Patriots.

“As we embark on this clear path forward, I often reflect on the simple, yet powerful, leadership mantra of the incomparable football coach, Bill Belichick, ‘Do your job,’” he wrote. “We are a team, and that should be our mindset.”

He further charged the DOD team with keeping their eyes on their assignment and finishing “the task at hand.”

“And if each one of us does so to the best of our abilities, nothing can stop us from achieving our objectives and successfully accomplishing the mission,” he wrote. “That is what I am committed to doing every single day as your Secretary.”

President Donald J. Trump tapped Miller to helm the Defense Department in an acting capacity on Nov. 9 after firing former Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper.

Senate Appropriators Question ABMS Spending

Nov. 16, 2020 | By Rachel S. Cohen

Two years after the Air Force canceled its plan to buy a new fleet of airborne battle management planes, senators still aren’t sure the service has its spending priorities straight for the backup option.

The Senate Appropriations Committee became the latest group to question the Advanced Battle Management System in its version of the fiscal 2021 defense spending bill. The Department of the Air Force wants $302.3 million for ABMS in 2021, about double what it received the year before. ABMS aims to share more data between Air Force platforms to give troops a bigger menu of options on the battlefield.

“While the committee continues to support the Air Force’s new approach to command and control, the committee notes that the ABMS requirements and acquisition strategy remain unclear,” lawmakers wrote in the legislation released Nov. 10.

Instead of agreeing to the full request, Senate appropriators are offering $208.8 million to move ABMS ahead with its various demonstrations and seed money for technology development and purchases. That funding has a secondary purpose: paying the Air Force to draw up new reports on how ABMS money is spent.

Senators want the Air Force’s acquisition chief to offer an explanation of the ABMS acquisition strategy as part of the fiscal 2022 budget submission due out early next year. In addition, they call on the Air Force comptroller to ensure the upcoming budget fully funds that plan.

“The committee directs the Secretary of the Air Force to submit a report summarizing all related programs in communications, battle management command and control, and sensors that fall within the ABMS umbrella across the future years defense program,” appropriators said. “The report should reference program element funding lines and clearly link all activities with funding lines in the fiscal year 2022 budget justification documents. It should also clearly articulate all Phase One efforts, including initial operational capability timelines, the status of related legacy activities, and linkages to classified activities.”

The Air Force previously said the first phase of ABMS would last into the early 2020s and rely on short-term technology upgrades to military drones and other command-and-control systems. Those updates would prepare the force for when the E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System plane retires later in the decade. The service expected ABMS would be ready for regular operations starting in 2035.

The service has already defended its experiment-heavy approach to lawmakers and groups like the Government Accountability Office that worry the way forward is unclear. Those in charge of the effort believe structuring their search for combat technologies unlike a traditional acquisition program will make it more successful.

Instead of holding years-long competitions for military-specific tools that need to be designed and built from scratch, the Air Force hopes commercial radios, artificial intelligence, display software, and more will network the force faster and more intuitively. Service officials are pushing each part of the force, from fighter jets to radar systems, to get on board as the concept matures.

Meanwhile, lawmakers say the JSTARS airframe is losing out on budget resources as priorities shift elsewhere. It’s possible the 16 E-8Cs will be phased out before ABMS is ready to replace it.

“The committee believes that [$11 million] is inadequate to support modernization of the platform through validated requirements, including avionics and communications upgrades. The committee encourages the Secretary of the Air Force to ensure that robust funding is requested in the future years defense program accompanying the fiscal year 2022 President’s Budget request to modernize the JSTARS fleet until a replacement of equal or superior capability is fielded and operational.”

Trump Administration to Withdraw More Troops from Afghanistan, Iraq

Nov. 16, 2020 | By Brian W. Everstine

The Pentagon is reportedly preparing to further withdraw forces from Afghanistan and Iraq by mid-January, despite warnings from the former Defense Secretary and an independent watchdog that violence remains high.

CNN first reported Nov. 16 that the Pentagon has issued a “warning order” to begin planning to draw down forces in Afghanistan from the current level of about 4,500 to 2,500, along with dropping the current number of forces in Iraq from 3,000 to 2,500. The move is a sign the Defense Department expects a formal order from President Donald J. Trump to withdraw forces before his term ends on Jan. 20, 2021.

Trump has pressured the Pentagon to bring U.S. forces home—tweeting in October that, “We should have the small remaining number of our BRAVE Men and Women serving in Afghanistan home by Christmas!”

The order comes days after Acting Defense Secretary Christopher C. Miller, in his first message to the troops, said the time has come for American service members to come home from Afghanistan.

“Ending wars requires compromise and partnership,” Miller wrote. “We met the challenge; we gave it our all. Now it’s time to come home.”

Miller—who served as a U.S. Army officer and former special operations Soldier in the early days of the war in Afghanistan—warned the war against al-Qaida is not completely finished.

“This war isn’t over,” he wrote. “We are on the verge of defeating al-Qaida and its associates, but we must avoid our past strategic error of failing to see the fight through to the finish. Indeed, this fight has been long, our sacrifices have been enormous, and many are weary of war—I’m one of them—but this is the critical phase in which we transition our efforts from a leadership to supporting role. We are not a people of perpetual war—it is the antithesis of everything for which we stand and for which our ancestors fought. All wars must end.”

Miller was appointed to be the Pentagon’s acting leader after Trump fired former Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper on Nov. 9. Esper reportedly cautioned against drawing down too far in Afghanistan. The Washington Post reported that Esper sent a classified memo to the White House in November raising concerns about withdrawing more forces, saying there was too much ongoing violence and remaining troops could be in danger in the event of a rapid pullout.

Other senior national security leaders have pressed for a broader withdrawal. National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien, in an October speech, said the U.S. will drop to 2,500 forces in Afghanistan by early next year adding, “I’m speaking for the President and I think that’s what the Pentagon is moving out and doing.”

Under an agreement with the Taliban signed in February, U.S. forces immediately reduced the troop level to 8,600, with the remaining set to leave in May 2021, provided the Taliban held up its end of the agreement to reduce violence.

However, the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction in its latest quarterly report to Congress, released Nov. 5, said enemy-initiated attacks in Afghanistan have increased, with the goal of harassing and undermining the Afghan government. U.S. airstrikes in the country also have increased, according to SIGAR.

Air Forces Central Command this year stopped publicly releasing airstrike totals, along with all airlift, refueling, and surveillance sortie totals. While the amount of U.S. forces and aircraft deployed to Afghanistan has dropped, U.S. combat and mobility aircraft are deployed and flying at a high operations tempo from other Middle East bases.

The drawdown inside Iraq comes as U.S. forces and coalition forces have already moved out of the country and left established bases. Earlier this year, as the COVID-19 pandemic spread, U.S. forces handed over multiple bases.

National Space Intelligence Center Takes Shape

Nov. 16, 2020 | By Rachel S. Cohen

The Space Force is planning its first steps toward a new intelligence center to make the great unknown a little less mysterious.

Two pieces of the National Air and Space Intelligence Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, will form the basis of a new National Space Intelligence Center, Space Force spokesperson Col. Catie Hague said. Those units are the Space Analysis Squadron and Counter-Space Analysis Squadron.

The Space Force is taking custody of the two squadrons as part of the Department of the Air Force’s broad review of which units should join the new service. Air Force Magazine reported Nov. 10 that recent Space Force guidance included a plan for a National Space Intelligence Center.

“Their designation for realignment into the Space Force is driven by their performing direct support to the space intelligence mission,” Hague said.

NASIC is tasked with offering the scientific and technical know-how to find and describe new air, space, missile, and cyber threats facing the Air Force and Space Force. The services use that information to decide which technologies to pursue and tactics to adopt. Last year, the organization released an unclassified report, entitled “Competing in Space,” to discuss trends and challenges posed by foreign countries in that arena.

NASIC says its space roots date back to its analysis of a Soviet space launch in the 1950s. Now, some military space watchers argue a specialized NSIC would offer more comprehensive operational support to troops who need to know what challenges they face from global adversaries and objects on orbit.

Threats run the gamut from projectile attacks in space or anti-satellite missiles from the ground, to signal jamming and other electronic interference, to intelligence-gathering on U.S. assets in the cosmos.

“The need for space domain intelligence continues to increase in the face of changing missions and emerging threats,” Chief of Space Operations Gen. John W. “Jay” Raymond said in the Space Force’s planning guidance. “We will develop and expand shared strategies [with the Intelligence Community] … to detect and characterize threats, defeat attacks, and respond to aggression.”

The prospect of a separate intel hub under the Space Force has been discussed as leaders mull what the service might need to succeed. Some, including former Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper, have raised questions about whether a space-focused center would unnecessarily duplicate work already underway at NASIC.

NASIC would keep “space” in its name even though the NSIC would primarily carry the space threat analysis mission, according to Hague.

“The National Space Intelligence Center will be an independent organization manned by highly trained space subject matter experts capable of providing quality intelligence support to space warfighters, senior leadership, and policymakers through independent and collaborative work with the National Air and Space Intelligence Center,” she said.

NSIC and the Space Force’s intelligence enterprise “will provide a framework for growth to meet anticipated demand for increased space intelligence at foundational, tactical, operational, and strategic levels,” according to service planning guidance.

Still, it’s unclear when an NSIC would come to fruition. Hague said the new center will be established based on “Intelligence Community policy and resourcing decisions.”

“The IC, through a deliberate analytical process, determined the need to establish the NSIC to provide dedicated foundational intelligence support to the USSF, senior leadership, and policy makers to increase unity of effort and effectiveness of space operations between the Department of Defense and the IC,” she said.

NASIC appears ready to make those changes. The center’s October 2020 “flight plan” priorities include transitioning, enabling, and integrating foundational intelligence capabilities for the Space Force.

“We need to think differently so we can drive things differently,” NASIC boss Col. Maurizio D. Calabrese said.

Spangdahlem F-16s Head to Middle East

Nov. 16, 2020 | By Brian W. Everstine

F-16s and Airmen from Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, deployed to the Middle East last week under a “dynamic force employment” concept aimed at quickly moving forces around the world.

The Vipers, from the 480th Fighter Squadron, deployed Nov. 12 to Al-Dhafra Air Base, United Arab Emirates, to demonstrate the Air Force’s “agility and [U.S. Central Command’s] commitment to allies and partners to bolster security and stability in the region,” said Lt. Gen. Gregory M. Guillot, 9th Air Force (Air Forces Central) commander, in a release.

While at Al-Dhafra, the aircraft will train with regional allies and fly combat missions as part of ongoing air wars against the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria and in Afghanistan.

“While deployed, the unit will conduct a wide range of missions, including combat operations and training with joint and regional partners, enhance the unit’s overall readiness and return to [U.S. European Command] better prepared to support future operations,” Guillot said.

The deployment to Al-Dhafra comes after the Air Force brought F-35As home following three consecutive Joint Strike Fighter deployments by Hill Air Force Base, Utah, units. It is the first DFE deployment to CENTCOM since F-16s from the 555th Fighter Squadron at Aviano Air Base, Italy, deployed in October 2019. That short-notice deployment came amid rising tensions from Iran, and the unit’s time in theater had to be extended because of the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 480th FS deployment is one of the squadrons tapped to move from Spangdahlem to Aviano. However, Air Force officials say the timeline for the move has not been formalized yet.

Kadena Airman Receives Air Force Achievement Medal for Okinawa Rescue

Nov. 16, 2020 | By Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory

An Airman from Kadena Air Base, Japan, has received an Air Force Achievement Medal for saving the lives of a mother and daughter at Tataki waterfall in Okinawa earlier this year, the 18th Wing told Air Force Magazine.

Airman 1st Class Leonard Cantrell Jr. was on an April hiking trip with friends at the waterfall, which is located in Japan’s Yambaru National Park, when he spotted the woman and her children approaching a deep section of water near the landmark, according to a wing release.

He said something seemed off, so he trusted his gut and slowed his pace to ensure the group was safe.

“The small boy decided to go back to the shore; however, the mother and her daughter decided to try and swim to the other side,” he recalled in the release. “As I watched she began to get more and more tired. Her head was dipping under the water and her movements were becoming erratic.”

In response to cries from the little girl and the mom’s continued struggle to stay above water, he said he decided to swim to their aid.

“I quickly got to them and gently pulled them back toward the shallow water and rocks where the mother regained her footing,” he said in the release.

Once the mom caught her breath and Cantrell was able to ensure neither she nor her daughter were in shock, the release explained, he parted ways with them.

Cantrell, an 18th Communications Squadron executive communications technician, described the rescue as the stuff of serendipity, since he “just happened to be in the right place at the right time”—especially considering the waterfall’s remote location.

“We are all neighbors at the end of the day, so it’s important to remember to be a positive ambassador wherever we go and help out if needed,” he said in the release. “I’m thrilled that the family is safe. That’s most important.”

About four months later, Cantrell’s squadron Commander, Lt. Col. Daniel E. Waid, presented him with the medal in recognition of his actions that day, the wing said.

CMSAF: Don’t Expect Major Changes to Enlisted Promotions in Near Future

Nov. 15, 2020 | By Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory

Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force JoAnne S. Bass recently teased potential reforms to how the service assesses and promotes enlisted Airmen, but troops might want to strike any major promotions-related changes from their wish lists this holiday season.

“There’s no changes for enlisted promotions in the very short-term future,” Bass said during an informal Facebook town hall with Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. on Nov. 13.

While Bass reiterated her dedication to reincorporating enlisted Airmen’s experience into their promotions process, she said she’s primarily focused on the long game by setting her sights on 2030 and attempting to build a strong foundation for the Air Force of tomorrow.

“We’ll make some short term fixes, intermediate fixes on all things involving the enlisted evaluation system and promotion system, but … there’s not a whole lot of big things that we’re gonna make changes on when it comes to enlisted promotions right now,” Bass said.

Still, she said, ensuring USAF’s noncommissioned officer corps is experienced is an imperative.

“The ‘how’ we’ll get after within the next few months, and hopefully the beginning of 2021 we’ll have some minor tweaks that we’ll dish out,” Bass said.